BerkeleyMom

Hi there, I am in my first semester of the ELMSN-FNP (OAK) and I also have 2 little ones. I really do not think it would be possible to work. Because it is 17 units, something already needs to get sacrificed, and sadly for me, that has been time with my children in addition to not being able to complete all of the reading. ... I am not even sure when I would work if I decided to. However, I do think anything is possible if you believe it is, have the resources you need, and the support to get you through it. As of now our schedule is as follows, 12 hours of class, 6 hours of lab, 8 hours of clinicals, so that is 26 hours total. In addition to that, it is expected that we will put in 2 times - 3 times the hours study time outside of the classroom. ... I am lucky if I can get in 10-15, but am also finding that that is enough for me. Most people are offered plenty of loans, especially if you have dependents. We are eligible to sit for the NCLEX in 15 months from our start date. Best of luck to you!

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"i will say that approx 2/3 of those trained as nps are working as nps while 85% of all pas ever trained are working as pas. the reality probably has more to do with relationship between rn and np pay than job satisfaction." do you think that this (2/3 of nps working as nps) also has to do with job availibility and salary? it is my understanding that in some places (northern cali particularly) it is easier to find an rn position than an np position. it also seems that many rns are getting paid better. is this common in many other places throughout the country? rns around here, new grads included, are starting off with higher salaries than a lot of np listings i have seen. ... actually, i don't see that many np listings, and have read on these boards that our market is saturated with them. it seems that the np listings are often times for low income, or nonprofit, clinics, and the starting salarys are low. i can see the temptation in finding an rn position, where as the pa does not have that option, unless he/she is an rn. this is of concern to me as i am starting a de msn fnp program. the fact that i will have the rn (job security) is the main reason that i chose the fnp program over a pa program, even though i have completed the prereqs for both programs.

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DE programs get such a wide range of applicants. At my group interview, which only was a small group, there were 22-yr-olds and people in their late 30s/early 40s. There were also all different levels of education--BAs only, Masters, and even PhDs. Everyone had completely different work & volunteer experiences, some in the medical field, and some had no medical experiences. My point being, there is no one way to know what the recipe is for being competitive because there is none. Each individual must tell their own story in that application packet. If someone were 22, fresh out of undergrad with under a 3.0, no work/volunteer history, he/she may not be that competitve relative to that applicant pool. However, if that same applicant aged a few more years, did some additional work (or academic work), and gained experience and maturity, he/she may become one of the most competitive applicants in that same pool. ... Maybe that 3.0 in undergrad demonstrates growth and character when compared to the recent work ... I am a firm believer in the personal statement. Spend as much time on it as possible. A beautifully written statement can speak for itself. You sound like a great candidate. Good luck!

Might be worth investing in a calculator. ... If you are looking to get rich quick, nursing may not be the best career choice for you.

Obviously, everyone has a different situation. Some parents must put their children in childcare in order to work and survive, while others simply choose to for their own personal reasons or to benefit the child. Then there is everyone else in between. No one has the right to judge anyone elses' needs or choices. By saying "No way would I put my kids in day care" implies judgment of others that do. This is supposed to be a supportive community, and I do not see anything beneficial by your statement. I hope you do not display that same insensitivity in your career because it is of particular importance in the field of nursing to be openminded to everyone's differences.

Hi, I thought I would chime in because I just got into a NP program and spent a lot of time getting as many quality letters as I could. I think that a good letter is as important as *who* writes it, if not more so. If you know the TA on a personal level, but the prof is willing to sign, that sounds like a great deal. Good letter, good authority. By your first post, it sounded as though the prof was just reminding you that an "A" is not the only important detail in a letter. ... In fact, these letters don't usually mention a grade, but what sort of student (ie motivated, inquisitive, etc) he/she is. I didn't see anything negative in his letter, it just sounded like he is the straight forward type. I think you should give the TA as much info about you as possible so he has a lot to work with when writing the letter. Maybe even offer to take him out for coffee, or to sit down and write it together so you can make his job a little easier. The more info you supply him the better--resume, list of acheivements, list of personal qualities, academic & nursing goals, etc--that way the TA will have more to talk about and he will also see how important this is to you and probably spend more time on it. ... The more time/info in that letter, the more weight it will hold up to the admin commitee as it will appear that he knows you well. I would also ask to see the letter before he hands it over to the prof. A lot of people do this and I think it would be a wise idea if you have any doubt he may not write an excellent letter. You are right--the prof is not going to write anything crabby or neg, people that agree to write letters do not do that & know how imp they are, he is probaly just going to sign it and drop it in the mail honestly. He probably just offered to add something to be polite but really doesn't feel like doing any of the work. I say, go for it, sounds like a great deal! Best of luck! Berkeley

I agree with justamazing. I think often times the daycare adjustment is harder on us parents than the children. When my youngest started part-time at age 2, I was worried about her adapting. Turned out, she LOVED it. In fact, the mornings she did not go, she cried, put on her little backpack and begged me to take her! lol.

Very well put ejilaca, I completely agree. The personal statement is going to be a critical selling point to make your application stand out. I did not do this, but have heard of people getting writing coaches to help them with their papers. If you don't know anyone that can help you proofread/edit, that may be worth looking into. I also think it is worth applying to ADN and ABSN programs in edition to the DE programs. That will give you time to pump up your GPA and get experience in the field. Then, when you apply for the MSN, *you* can decide what school *you" want to go to, not just settling for whoever let you in. It seems, based on this thread and similar threads, that the universities that do not have a min GPA, and a lot of DE programs in general, come with a hefty price tag to match! ... I am about to enter one, and BIG DEBT here I come! (it is always more than you think it is going to be due to rising fees, additional expenses, and interest rates). Best of luck!!! -Berkeley

I don't know what it is like to work for Alta Bates, but I do know that there L&D ward and maternity ward are excellent as far as standard of care! It is known that Alta Bates is one of the best places to have a baby in the bay area and that the department has grown over the years. ... Probably safe to assume that their nurses are getting excellent training ... just my 2 cents. --Berkeleymom (had 2 babies at Alta Bates and thought the nurses were fantastic)

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A friend of mine graduated last Dec and started a new grad program at Stanford in Jan. I know what you mean about moving to a new place--it is so hard to know where to go and what neighborhood "fits" all your needs. I am married with kids and live in the east bay, so my priorities may be different. However, if I were a young professional that was single, I would love to live in San Francisco. Such an amazing city with so much to do! If you google map UCSF, you will see that it is walking distance from Golden Gate park. There are many cool neighborhoods in that area and I have no doubt you would meet a lot of very fun, intelligent, and diverse people. Haight Ashbury is great. SF may be a little more pricey than other parts of the bay area, but if you found a little apartment and a roommate, you may not end spending much time in there as the city has so much to offer! Maybe take a look at this too: http://www.sanfrancisco.com/attractions/neighborhoods.html EDIT to say: another reason I brought up Stanford and UCSF is because they are both large universities and I think being close by them is a great way to meet new people and find fun & interesting communities.

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For people wishing to move to California, can you be more specific as to what exactly you are looking for? Coastal or inland? Urban or rural? Small town close to a big city? Is ethnic diversity/multiculturalism important? Do you mind traffic? Cost of living requirements? What kind of weather/climate do you prefer? etc, etc. One thing to consider is the vast amount of diversity that exists within the state. Each area is as if its own state. Take San Diego, Fresno, and San Franciso--one could not even begin to compare the differences between each place. Take Sacramento, Berkeley, and Santa Barbara--again, completely different from one another. The city of Oakland is as polarized as a city can be--very wealthy homes in the hills and very poor communities sprinkeled throughout. Sorry to digress. What is it that you all are looking for specifically in California? ... Chances are are, you will find it somewhere. Unless of course you are looking for the 4 seasons--that we lack completely.

If you are interested in living in Concord area, there is also Kaiser Walnut Creek which is very close. Have you looked at the California Department of Education to compare API/APR? ... (I am not for one second claiming that a numerical number is a comprehensive reflecion of a school, but if you have limited time, it is a good snap shot) As California schools are strugling, I think it is really worth paying attention to. Of the schools in the bay area that I am familiar with, I have found the number (API is out of 1000) to be accurate of what I consider to be a "quality" public school. Before deciding on a neighborhood to live in, it may be worth checking out the local schools. For example, if you search Alameda county, and look at all of the Oakland elementary school APIs lined up, it is quite clear--the numbers range from 550-930. If you look at the location of the school, that number *may* (or may not for some) be a reflection of what you are looking for in a community. You can find this info at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ Again, I am not saying that testing scores are a direct refection of a community (not here to stir up controversy everyone), but I have found them to be a lot more accurate than one might expect, based on what I know about our local schools.

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I am very pleased with our school district, the Albany School District, and it is also very highly ranked if that is important to you. The community is wonderful as well and is mainly composed of young families with an investment in their community, schools, and environment. Another highly ranked school district is Piedmont (Oak hills) but the cost of living is quite a bit higher. If you want to learn about these & surrounding neighborhoods, I highly recommend Berkeley Parent's Network--it is a free community resource that is wonderful--you can read about these things on the website (previous posts) and you can join and get frequent emails of posts, and you may ask all of these questions there too. As far as finding a nursing job, well that may be the eaisest part!

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A friend of mine recently finished her BSN at Samuel Merritt College, and did her upper division non-nursing pre-reqs at Saint Mary's in Moraga, after completing all of her lower division course work at a junior college. The partnership program, that you seem to be refering to, is offered through Holy Names, Saint Mary's, and Mills, none of which are junior colleges by the way. They are all private universities, and yes, you can do the BSN program with SMC if you start at one of those universities as a freshmen and meet all of the requirements. You can learn more about these programs at www.samuelmerritt.edu, which will have more accurate information than I can provide. My friend was very busy with clinicals and studying for the entire duration of her program. Not only is she a competent and intelligent person who put a lof of effort into her studies, but she was challenged by the program as well. She has greatly benefitted from this program and now has a great, competitive, position as a nurse. It sounds like the situation with your friend's micro class was an isolated incidence, and does not seem appropriate by any standard, as you have described. I highly doubt that any of the above named institutions would appreciate being generalized as "easy" or "unprofessional" because of one purported incident with your friend and her micro teacher. Lets hope that this teacher gets her act togther, finds a new career, or that your friend's story is missing some pieces .... And, if she is struggling this much in micro, then she better really crack the books when patho and pharm come around! All in all, I have only heard positive things about these schools ... not including the price of course. Hopefully you can get more feedback about the programs before closing the door completely on them. Best of luck in your research! --Berkeley (looking forward to starting the ELMSN-FNP program at Sam Merritt)

I am sorry that happened to you. It should have been more clear in the begining so you did not have to spend all of that time preparing. Can you at least volunteer there? I agree that you should be able to shadow NPs as well as RNs, and whether it is the "next step" is not a reason, as you are applying to a direct-entry program to be an NP. In fact the opposite is true--direct-entry programs want to see students that are familiar with the specialty and know why they are picking that specialty, not students that are interested in nursing in general. Before applying to the direct-entry FNP program that I will be starting in the fall, I shadowed 2 FNPs, each for a full day, but in very different clinical settings. There was no problem with it, and all of the patients knew why I was there and were fine with it. Maybe if you can find NPs that work for a smaller organization you may have an easier time finding someone. Best of luck!